The Balance Beam
by Nixanne
Summary: Jane Shepard's flexibility must have come from somewhere. AU. [Rated T for language]


A/N: Shepard doesn't immediately talk to Garrus in the Battery after "Eye for an Eye" so there's no way for their romance to have blossomed yet. However, you will see tidbits of Shepard's growing love for our favourite turian.

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"What are you doing down here, Shepard?" Garrus' voice resonated in the cargo bay. Shepard was in one corner of the level, inspecting a huge box. She was in her civvies, wearing a white shirt tucked in dark pants, her hair in a bun that he's always seen her in.

"Just checking out something I got delivered from one of the shops in the Citadel. What are you doing here? We're on shore leave for five more days, you know?" Shepard turned to look at him and smiled. "Figured the crew could use a break before we head out to get that Reaper IFF, don't know what will happen to the mission after going there." She looks at the ceiling and then at EDI's terminal by the elevator. "Besides, I think EDI's deserved some well earned shore leave, she hasn't gotten a break ever since that Collector ship fiasco." She looked at one of EDI's terminals by the bay's elevator.

"I have no need for what you organics call a shore leave, Commander. Although a system maintenance will be most appreciated." EDI's amusement laced voice was heard throughout the bay, her terminal by the elevator brightening as her holographic representation appeared.

"Just humouring you, EDI. However, feel free to shut down non-vital systems and run diagnostic tests throughout the ship. Just make sure that we're ready to go when shore leave ends."

"Of course Shepard." The terminal darkens as EDI's hologram disappears.

"Well, Vakarian, you never answered my question." She faced back at her turian (best) friend who was now leaning on her newly delivered box.

"Just thought I'd drop by. I asked EDI where you were and she said you were here. Was gonna ask you to go shoot with me." He paused and nudged his elbow at the box he was leaning in. "Wait, so what is this thing, Shepard? It looks kind of big."

"Well, come open it with me." Garrus immediately stood up straight and went beside her.

"Sure."

She went in front of the box and held her omnitool up high. The box began to open at latches from the top, the sides spreading out all over; the interior of the box had some sort of cushions all over the sides, and eventually settled around the strange thing that was formerly inside it.

"Is that a new weapons rack, Shepard? Because if it is, it's too narrow to place any guns in and there's nothing to hold the guns up. Besides, I don't think there's space in this for the armoury."

"It's not, Garrus."

"Then well, what is it?"

"It's a balance beam."

"A balance beam? What do you balance in the beam?"

"Me."

"What?"

"Me. I balance myself in the beam"

"You've got to be kidding me. I don't think you can even stand there properly." Garrus' mandibles flared wide in confusion, looking at Shepard and then at the beam and then back at Shepard. "Look how narrow that thing is."

She smiled sweetly at him, walked towards the cushions near the beam, sat down, and began unlacing her boots. "Well, I could. It's not that difficult. Or at least that's how I remember it. I don't know if I can still do it. It's been a while." She grimaced and took out her right boot, pulling out the sock as well. "I haven't done this in so long I think my bones will break if I try to do anything on the beam." She pulled out her left boot this time, and then her sock, which she stuffed in her boot.

"Breaking bones?" He looked at her pointedly, a look asking her to clarify or repeat what she said.

"I was kidding! Don't get your knickers in a twist. I just haven't done this in a while. I've been dead for two years, you know." She said sourly and she began to stretch her toes.

"I know." He replied, just as sourly, his sub-harmonics dropped audibly, enough for her to hear.

"I'm sorry."

"For what? You don't have to be sorry for that, you know. It was hardly your fault you were too awesome for the Collectors to ignore." He tried to brighten the mood and was graced with a triumphant feeling when she gave a little smile.

"Still. I'm sorry for… I don't know? Dying? Bringing that up? It still feels weird, the last thing I remember was Alchera. I still think that was a weeks ago, when in reality it's been more than two years. I feel like I've lost myself and I'm still floating there…well I did. But I still feel like I'm drifting and lost. I'm just so thankful that you and Joker and Dr. Chakwas and Tali are here, you guys are helping me anchor back to reality. I'm almost back at the ground, and will be, just in time to kick the Collectors right in the ass for killing me." She grinned and patted the space beside her, an invitation for Garrus to sit.

He sat down beside her, and put his hand on her shoulder. "By the way, we never did get to talk about what happened with Sidonis."

"I wanted to give you space. You told me you needed it, I saw that you needed it." She grabbed the hand that was on her shoulder, put it in her lap, and began rubbing circles on his palm.

"I was never mad at you by the way. I saw what you saw. His eyes were lifeless. His voice was dead. He was as good as dead. The Sidonis that was part of my team was dead. I don't know who the hell that was we talked to there." Garrus closed his eyes and Shepard started kneading at his palm. "I was mad at myself, actually."

"Tell me about it. It helps, you know. Sharing."

"Because, even if I wanted to kill him. I couldn't. I was telling you to move out of my scope, but I knew I couldn't do it. When I saw him, I knew I couldn't do it. I was telling myself that the Sidonis I knew was dead, and putting a bullet through the head in that turian's head is going to be easy but it wasn't. Who was I kidding?"

"He was as good as dead." She grimaced at the memory of meeting the empty, haunted turian in the Citadel. He pulled his hand from hers but quickly placed it back when he saw her face briefly frown at the loss of contact.

"I know. Maybe that was the best…or maybe the worst that I could do. Letting him live."

"You was still your brother-in-arm, Garrus, please don't be mad at yourself for having a conscience."

"If Wrex was here, he'd be laughing at me while telling me I have no quads." Shepard face lit up, grinned widely at him, and nodded.

"We can head to Tuchanka after shore leave if you want. Besides, I think Grunt needs to check in, especially since we haven't been back after his Rite."

"We killed a thresher maw, I think he's going to be having a lot of breeding requests."

"I think you're going to be having a lot too, I remember you mentioning that Krogan females have a thing for scars." She winked at him, and he laughed.

The laughter died down and there was silence, Shepard looked down at his hand that was resting on hers and began kneading again.

"I think he thought of your team as much as you did." She said quietly, still looking down.

"Bullshit." He scowled. "If he thought of the team at all, he wouldn't have sold us out. He would have sacrificed himself."

"Not everyone is like you, Garrus." Her brown eyes met his blues and she pulled him into a hug. Turians weren't the type to hug but he hugged her back anyway.

"Or you, Shepard." He murmured, breathing in her scent.

"Guess that makes the two of us, then." She pulled back from the hug and rested herself against him.

"Yeah."

**#####**

I'm in dire need of a beta. This is in the baby stage, if there are alot of mistakes, I won't hesitate to put this down and put it back up until it's perfect.

Also, please, someone help me! Is anyone reading this a gymnast or knows gymnastics by any chance., by any chance?


End file.
